Beyond the Masks
by Isabella GL
Summary: Sequel from the "And A Happy New Year" series. A year has passed since Holly and Roger have reunited.
1. Chapter 1

This is a sequel to the series "And A Happy New Year." For those of you who are not famililar with the Acapulco storyline, I suggest you read about it or watch clips on Youtube because I will make several references to it in this story. Also because it is very good! This first part has two chapters, so you can access Chapter 2 on the menu at the end!

* * *

Roger was waiting for Holly. He didn't mind, since he knew that she would be arriving any minute now. His mind wandered back to the last year, which had turned out to be the happiest of his life. From the moment that Holly had agreed to start over, a year ago, he had felt like a condemned man which death sentence had suddenly been lifted.

He had a future again, and it looked bright now that the woman he loved was by his side. Granted, their relationship was not perfect. Even now, she could still slam the door in his face in the heat of an argument. The difference was that now the fight usually ended with make-up sex instead of tears. They trusted each other completely. It had taken them years to build back that trust, but they were finally there.

Roger reflected that he had been right in insisting that they move to Chicago. They both loved their life there, away from the memories. His business was doing extremely well and kept him away from mischief. Holly had moved on from being a producer for local TV station to a national one. Yes, Roger thought, it had been a good year.

Hearing the music start, Roger got up from the pew and tugged at his tuxedo vest, waiting. And suddenly, there she was, standing at the beginning of the aisle, amidst the white roses filling the church. He had been waiting all his life for Holly to come to him, and she had finally arrived.

* * *

Going down the aisle, Holly did not notice anything or anyone but Roger, waiting for her at the other end. She didn't see Blake, even though her daughter was walking two steps in front of her. Neither did she see her mother, waiting in the front pew. She forgot that Roger's father was giving her a way. She didn't hear the violins, the birds singing or the sound of the waves crashing on the nearby beach. She couldn't wait to get to the man she had chosen for her husband.

Her soul mate. She wondered why she had fought it for so long, the simple truth that she belonged with Roger. Then she remembered that the road to happiness is rarely straightforward. There had been lessons to be learned, obstacles to overcome, egos to conquer; all of it took time. Luckily for them, life had brought them back together and Holly was intent on seizing that chance.

She finally reached Roger and went to stand by his side. Lifting her veil, he pinned a rose in her hair and, waving conventions aside, kissed her right before the start of the ceremony.

They turned toward the priest. They were ready.

* * *

It seemed to them that time stood still as they were being declared man and wife; they felt they had reached eternity. But it only lasted a few seconds, and immediately Blake, Ross, Barbara and Adam rushed to their side to congratulate them.

Outside, the sun was setting on the horizon and torches were being lit. They all walked from the church to the beach where a table had been laid and a small feast was awaiting them. Numerous toasts were made to the happiness of the newlyweds, Blake cried, Ross made fun of Roger, but Roger was too happy to care. Adam, as usual, kept his feelings to himself, but the nod of approval he gave Roger made the latter hope that his father was actually proud of him for once.

After the meal, mariachis appeared out of nowhere and proceeded to play. While everyone was listening, Roger motioned to Holly to follow him on the beach. They walked a little bit in silence, arm in arm. When they had put some distance between them and the others, Roger turned to Holly and pulled her into a deep kiss.

"I can't wait to be alone with you, Mrs. Thorpe."

"And I with you."

He ran his hands down her wedding gown, which was closely hugging her lean silhouette. "And I can't wait to take you out of this lacy, ivory dream of a dress."

Holly took a look at their family, a few feet away. Her mother was starting to yawn; Blake and Ross were whispering in each others ears.

"I guess now would be a good time to say our goodbyes."

They walked back to the table and quickly took their leave. Roger took Holly's hand and led her further along on the beach. Hotels, huge and all a sparkling white were lining the shore.

"So, what do you think the destination I chose for our wedding?"

Holly looked at the Pacific Ocean, the palm trees, the white sand. Acapulco.

"I could not have picked a better spot."

Roger squeezed her hand. "This is where you finally forgave me for raping you; a forgiveness that I had never hoped to get. I still don't know if I deserve it, but if you only knew how thankful I am for it!"

She stroked his cheek. "You show it to me everyday."

They resumed their walking until they reached a wooden wharf. A boat was waiting for them. "Can you guess where I am taking you now?"

Holly smiled. "I am not sure, but I think I have a clue…"

* * *

The host ushered them into the room and gave them almost the same exact speech as five years ago, obviously not recognizing them. The room also looked the same, except for the new bedspread. The view to the ocean was as breathtaking as ever.

Holly sat on the bed and looked around, amazed. "Talk about déjà-vu!"

"I know! I was so happy to find that this resort still existed and that this room – our room – was available."

He joined her on the bed. "But you know, this time it will be different. There will be no Ross and no Alexandra barging in the morning. This is where we finally came to terms with our past, so this is where I want to make love to you for the first time as my wife."

Holly got up and faced him. "This time I am here for the right reasons," she said, looking him straight in the eyes and starting to unbutton her gown.

Roger joined her, shedding his vest and his shirt on the way. He tried to take her in his arms but she motioned him to stay where he was. Finally freeing herself of her dress, she let it slip on the floor. She stood in front of him, naked except for the white rose still nestled in her hair, waiting for him to take it all in.

Roger made a superhuman effort not to move, sensing that she wanted to be the one to set the pace. She slowly undressed him, and then pulled him into a long kiss that left them both breathless. They looked at each other for a long time without speaking, feeling each other's heart beat. "I love you," he finally whispered.

"Then take me, I'm yours," she answered.

* * *

The next morning, Holly woke up before Roger. She stretched and walked lazily to the balcony, the breeze blowing in her hair. She looked back at her husband and decided because it was still early to let him sleep while she went for a walk on the beach.

She kissed him lightly on the lips before setting off.

Outside, the sun was shining and the air was full of the scents of the exotic flowers growing on the side of the road. It seemed to Holly that the world was bursting with millions of colors; the blue from the sky and the see, the white of houses lining the streets, the yellows, reds, oranges and pinks from the flowers overflowing from the houses' windows. Maybe it had always been this way, she thought, and she was noticing it only now that she was so deliriously happy.

She stopped at the village market and bought a couple of oranges. She peeled one while walking up to the beach, saving the other one for Roger. Finding a remote spot, she sat down in the sand, enjoying the warmth of the sun. She didn't see the man coming from behind until it was too late, too late to avoid the butt of his gun as he aimed for the back of her head.


	2. Chapter 2

Holly woke up with what qualified as an epic headache. She was surprised not to find herself in her bedroom in Springfield. She cautiously got up, feeling her head and finding a large bump whose existence she could not explain.

She looked around and her heartbeat accelerated. She had absolutely no idea where she was, and she could not recall how she had gotten there. From what she could see, she was in some sort of hut, with only one room. The floor was made of wooden planks, and the furniture consisted of a bed, a table with some chairs, a beaten sofa, a cupboard and a small gas stove that people use when camping. She noticed flowers on the table, the only attempt at decoration the owner had made. A radio sat on the floor near the door, in a sorry state.

God it's hot in here, she thought, trying to fan herself with her hand. She tried to collect her thoughts but the throbbing in her head made it hard for her to concentrate. Where was she, and who had brought her there? Had she been kidnap, and if so, why wasn't she tied? She decided that she should try and leave while she had the chance. She had no desire to meet the occupant of the hut. She could figure out what had happened later, when she would be safely back at home.

Before she could reach the door, she heard someone approaching the house. There was nowhere she could go, nowhere she could hide. She braced herself for the worse.

The door opened and a man came in. Holly let out a cry, half-relieved, half-incredulous: "Johnny?"

Johnny Bauer rushed to her side, leading her back to the bed. "Holly! You shouldn't be up so soon. Please lie down."

She sat on the bed but refused to lie down. "I'm fine. Where the hell are we, Johnny?"

"In the Pinogana District, pretty much in the middle of nowhere."

Holly scratched her head, wincing as she felt her bump. "Never heard of it. I guess it's south of the border?"

Johnny looked at her with a concerned expression on his face. "What border are your referring to exactly?"

"The Mexican border, of course." Although, come to think of it, she realized that it was much too humid for them to be anywhere near that area.

"Holly, we're in Panama."

Holly leapt from the bed in panic. "What? How is that possible?"

Johnny tried to calm her down. "You tell me! I found you wandering in the jungle, a couple of miles from here, right before you collapsed into my arms."

Holly felt a lump in her throat. She could not remember anything. She walked to the door and opened it. Trees and creepers were spreading before her. Then it hit her. "But Johnny, what are YOU doing here? Shouldn't you be in Springfield?"

He got up and joined her by the door, scrutinizing her face. "Why would I be in Springfield?"

It was Holly's turn to stare at him. "Let's see: because you live there? Because we have a show to work on? One on one, remember?" she replied, becoming annoyed at his apparent obtuseness.

He looked at her as if she had gone mad. He led her back to the bed before he answered. He took her hands in his and took a deep breath. "You must have hit your head harder than I thought. Tell me, what year do you think this is?"

Holly felt her blood turn to ice in her veins. When people asked you that question, it usually meant that something had gone very, terribly wrong.

She replied hesitantly. "I don't know how long I have been here, but I'd say that we are in May?"

She could see by the look on his face that this was the wrong answer. "May of which year?"

She laughed nervously. "Come on, Johnny, I can't be that way off!" Seeing that he remained silent, she added: "1990, of course!"

She could practically see his heart sinking. "We're in March, Holly. March, 1996."


End file.
